Bristol has long been a city of inns, alehouses, hostelries and taverns. It was a busy port city importing brandy sherry and port. Locals could also enjoy home brewed beer and the famous Somerset cider. I think that modern visitors to central Bristol should try to visit at least a couple of the historic pubs.
There are many candidates to be named as central Bristol’s oldest pub.
The Rummer
I think the Rummer has as good a case as most. It stands on the corner of St. Nicholas Market and All Saints Lane and has been known as the Rummer after a type of drinking glass for over two hundred years. But its history goes back much further. The present building is on the site of a much older inn, the Green Lattis which was given to the nearby church of Old Saints by its owner Alice Hayle in the hope that prayers would be said for the repose of her soul in 1241.
In the 18th century, Bristol merchants decided to build a corn exchange on a site next to the inn. The inn itself was rebuilt and became an important coaching inn. The London mail coach arrived every day at 4. p.m.
Berni Inns
The Rummer’s other main claim to fame is as the first Berni Inn in the Country. The Berni brothers were Italian immigrants who had run a coffee shop in Exeter which was destroyed in the blitz. Frank visited America and was inspired by U.S. restaurant chains to open a steakhouse serving steak and chips. He was joined by his brothers, Arlo and Carlo. When the restaurant opened in 1956, food rationing had not long ended and the brothers were keen to create an atmosphere where people would not feel intimidated.
“If you have got cobwebs keep them” Alex Waugh, Berni Inn designer
The Great British menu 1960’s style
Melon boat or prawn cocktail
Steak, gammon or fish with chips and peas
Black forest gateau, cheese board or ice cream
coffee and after eight mint
The formula clearly worked by the time the brothers sold the chain in 1970 they had 147 restaurants, 19 in Bristol alone.
The cellars
The oldest part is the cellar. The medieval cellar runs under Corn Street and forms part of the maze of tunnels that were used for smuggling wine and rum.
Now the Rummer is popular as an award-winning cocktail bar and gin distillery.
The Hatchet Inn
Another claimant for the title “Bristol’s oldest pub is the Hatchet Inn in Frogmore Street. It was first licensed in 1606. The tall gabled section is the original Inn. The houses on either side were damaged in the blitz and rebuilt as wings to the Inn.
It is close to the docks which must have been a rough area in earlier times. In the 18th Century, a cock fighting ring was set up at the back and later a boxing ring was added. Bristol had several bare knuckle boxing champions including Benjamin Brain and Henry Pearce. Women would also box sometimes topless.
A macabre story associated with the pub is that a human skin is stretched under the tar and paint on the door.
It has just been announced that the Hatchet has been taken over by new owners. Jon Bassett, the managing director of Cardiff based pub operator J.W. Bassett has said the firm will be carrying out a £5,000,000 renovation project. The gentrification of Bristol continues.
The Llandogger Trow
The Llandogger Trow is a fantastic building which dates from the 17th century. It can be found in King Street across from the Theatre Royal. The pub has a long tradition of serving actors and is said to be haunted.
It was named by Captain Hawkins who left the sea to run the pub. He came from the village of LLandogo in the Wye valley and named the pub after one of the flat bottomed boats that used to carry goods up the River Wye. There are plenty of old stories to say it was a meeting place for Bristol pirates or privateers. It is also said to be the inspiration for the Admiral Benbow in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and the place where Daniel Defoe met his Robinson Crusoe, Alexander Selkirk who had been deliberately cast away on a desert Island.
It has recently opened under new management.
The Ostrich
The Ostrich on Redcliffe wharf has one of the most popular outside seating areas in Central Bristol. You can enjoy a pint of cider or a beer while sat overlooking the harbour on a warm summer’s evening or even sit in a heated tepee. But it is famous for what is hidden inside. They have removed a section of wall to reveal an entrance to Redcliffe caves. Despite the name the caves are actually mines. The labyrinth of tunnels which stretch for more than an acre was dug under the streets of Bristol to mine the fine sand needed for making Bristol glass from the red Triassic sandstone that gives the area of Redcliffe its name. It is owned by Butcombe breweries and has an extensive menu including a good range of burgers.
The Christmas steps
The Christmas steps is one of Bristol’s oldest streets. It is Diagon Alley-esque, full of odd shops and quirky street furniture. The steep steps weren’t added until 1669 paid for by a wealthy wine merchant Jonathan Blackwell. The pub of the same name on the corner dates from the 16th century when the river Frome flowed almost past its door and barrels could be unloaded straight from the boats.
The Christmas Steps serves real ale and classic pub food. Its dark wood paneled interiors are very atmospheric particularly when lit by candlelight in the evenings.
The hole in the wall
The hole in the wall has a large garden and a good restaurant. It owes its name to a slit in one of the walls, It is claimed that in the old days, sailors could watch the harbour and hide before a press gang could force them to join the navy.
The Bank Tavern
The Bank Tavern at 8 John Street was probably named for the first bank in Bristol which was in Broad Street. It is reputed to serve the best roast Sunday lunches in the city. You need to book at one stage the waiting list was four years.
The Seven Stars
The Seven Stars on Thomas Lane claims to date from the 17th century but the present building looks a bit later. Bristol is strongly associated with the slave trade but it is often forgotten that we played an important part in the abolition of slavery as well. Thomas Clarkson came to the Seven Stars and talked to the sailors about the conditions on the slave ships. He was able to gather a lot of information about the terrible conditions on board and presented this information to William Wilberforce who used it in Parliament in his fight for abolition.
The name comes from the seven stars of the plough which point to the north. Slaves using the underground railroad to escape to Canada and the Northern states would follow the north star to safety.
The New Moon
This pub at the bottom of Stokes Croft is now a popular back packers hostel . Bristol Pubs When Sayer prepared a map showing the city and its surroundings as he supposed it existed in 1250 to 1350, he marked the plot containing the Full Moon as one possessing “a very Ancient Hostellerie.”” As far as can be ascertained the ground occupied by. the Full Moon in Stokes Croft is the second site that contained an Inn of any importance.
In medieval times the area was outside the city wall and not subject to the laws of the city. It became a popular place to hold fairs
I hope that visitors to Bristol enjoy discovering some of its history by visiting some of its public houses.
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